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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal reserved sharp criticism for both the players and the overall structure of Pakistan cricket following the team's 0-2 whitewash to Bangladesh.
Akmal was scathing in his criticism and said that he did not see things changing for a long time, especially because of the mentality of the players and the egos of non-cricketing individuals.
Pakistan fall to eighth on the WTC table
Pakistan's loss to Bangladesh in the two-match series was finalised on Wednesday when they lost the second Test by 78 runs in Sylhet. They had lost the first Test in Mirpur by 104 runs.
On Day 1, Pakistan's decision to bowl first had seemed like the right one when Mohammad Abbas dismissed Mahmudul Hasan Joy on the second ball of the match, and also when they had Bangladesh in a corner at 116/6. But Litton Das made an excellent century and put up crucial stands with the lower order to give the team some hope. He made 126 while the next highest score was 29.
Bangladesh's reply with the ball was even more brutal. Only two Pakistan player were able to cross 25, and one of them was the bowler Sajid Khan. Taijul Islam and Nahid Rana took three wickets each to give Bangladesh a slender lead.
Bangladesh fared much better with the bat in the second innings. Joy made a fifty, as did Litton. The experienced Mushfiqur Rahim, too, put his hand up with a national record 14th Test hundred to set Pakistan a daunting 437.
Khurram Shahzad did well for Pakistan, taking 4 wickets each in both innings. Pakistan's chase never really looked on. Even though Mohammad Rizwan made 94, and Shan Masood and Salman Ali Agha made 71 each, Taijul Islam's six-wicket haul stopped them in their tracks.
The 2-0 win has propelled Bangladesh to No. 5 on the World Test Championship Table, while Pakistan have fallen to No. 8. Pakistan have also now managed to lose 7 away Tests in a row.
"When non-cricketers have their ego involved, cricket will not improve" - Kamran Akmal
After the defeat, Akmal spoke on the Game Plan YouTube channel and severely criticised the Pakistan team for its failures. He started by congratulating the Bangladesh team first before attacking the Pakistan side.
“Many congratulations to Bangladesh and the whole nation,” he said. “Tremendous cricket, no doubt. Despite everything they were going through — the protests, the government situation — they never moved away from their basics. Big achievement.”
For his compatriots, though, Akmal said that there was nothing left but shame for them. “There is nothing left except shame,” he said. “We have been saying the same things for six or seven years. Nothing has changed.”
He went on to attack the higher-ups and said that their egos were holding the team back. “When non-cricketers have their ego involved, cricket will not improve,” he said. “When you select by parachute, merit and skill are zero to you. Where the actual fault is, there will be no accountability, no criteria for performance.”
In PSL, not a single player is unfit- Kamran Akmal
He also criticised the players' attitudes and prioritising the PSL over their national duties. “In PSL, not a single player is ever unfit,” he said. “Domestic cricket starts, and fitness letters start coming in. Not one will come during PSL. When this is the mentality, how will cricket improve?”
He also said that Pakistan's treatment of domestic players was not right, and neither were the stringent fitness standards set by them. “A player who can score 100, 200, bowl 18 overs a day — you are finishing his cricket career because he couldn’t do one jump,” he said. “Two kilometres, if he is half a minute over, you say he is not fit to play. Look at yourselves first — those who are making cricket decisions.”
He also drew a direct comparison to India and the Men in Blue's treatment of senior players like Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, and Cheteshwar Pujara once their time was up. “Pujara was dropped, Ajinkya Rahane was dropped, Shikhar Dhawan was dropped — how big a performer was he?” he said. “Cricket first, team first. Here they bring friendships onto the field.”
When questioned about the path forward, he said that things wouldn't be improving for half a decade at least, and that the improvement wouldn't come until some big decisions were taken.
“Practically speaking, I don’t see things improving in the next four or five years. It will continue the way it has been going. If you want to get better, you will have to make big, hard decisions. Otherwise nothing will improve.”
Also Read: Salman Ali Agha brutally punished by ICC just before becoming Pakistan Test captain
Pakistan's upcoming schedule
In the WTC, Pakistan's next two series are away series. They will play a two-match series in the West Indies in July before playing a three-match series in England in August. Pakistan have not won an away Test match since July 2023.
They have been dropped to the 8th position in the league table, and with the whitewash, the Men in Green's dream to qualify for the top two positions has ended.
